Enjoy my sloppy seconds, Stillwater?
Well, at least she keeps it in the family.
The family.
Releasing her hand, I kill the ignition. I know exactly what we need.
“Will Dr. Whitaker let you take a couple of days?” I ask.
She shrugs. “She wasn’t exactly thrilled I came into work today. She had suggested I take the week off after what happened.”
“How about a couple days in Wimberly Cove? Mom would love to see you.”
Her blue eyes blink, a small smile gracing her lips. “Trace has never seen the beach.”
Leaning in, I brush my lips across hers. “Then let’s show him.”
She presses a soft kiss against me. “All I need to do is pack.”
As she climbs out of the truck, I fish out my phone. We could use a change of scenery, and I could use some answers. Answers I know that only one person can give me.
“He’s adorable.”
I sit next to my mom at the edge of the beach.
We were able to get her wheelchair down to a spot just before the sand starts. A thin shawl wraps around her sunken shoulders, her graying hair blowing in the breeze as we watch Laiken and Trace chase each other along the shoreline.
“He’s the best.” I smile.
She keeps her eyes on them. “I hate what’s happened to them.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I sit up from the dune, bending my knees before I drape my arms across them. “I need to ask you something.” I pause. “It’s about Rhodes.”
Her frail hands intertwine with each other, a clear signal she’s nervous.
She sighs, deep and heavy. “I knew this day would come.”
Her tone has me whipping my head in her direction. “What do you mean?”
“That boy never had a chance.”
Her eyes crinkle, perplexity written all over her face.
“There’s a reason we left Mayson Ridge, isn’t there?”
I can tell she’s hesitant to give me the truth.
“Just be honest, Mom.”
I keep holding onto those words Rhodes said to Laiken.
Remind you of anyone?
“Your father was an addict, Parker,” she says quietly. “I tried to shield you from that as much as I could. I tried to shield us both. But I made a vow. In sickness and in health.”
I clench my jaw, willing myself to stay quiet.
“He was sick. He had a problem, and I stood by him. I stood by him when he came home reeking of alcohol, so high he could barely walk, and cloaked in another woman’s perfume.”
